Extorted and Expecting

Inaproprate Interuptions

Ethan and all the girls were now just chatting about whatever came to their minds, a lot of questions directed at the man over how he's been the last few months in general and a few about his home, as he and Tyler hadn't been living here long and they had moved in right after he had last seen most of his friends; his smile was back and it stretched wide across his face as his enthusiastic replies made both himself and the four women around him laugh, he always loved making other people smile and his friends always seemed to do the same with him. He didn't really care that whenever these get togethers would occur that he would normally go over and spend time with the girls while Tyler would chat up the guys, Mark would always make fun of him and put him down for it, but they were good company and they always made him feel so much better, saw him in this positive light he could no longer see himself in.

“How have you and Tyler been? I know you've been dating for over three years now.” Molly had a kind smile on her face as she asked, she always seemed to have that look and Ethan really envied her for it, she tucked some if her long blonde hair behind her ear and raised a brow, the other women sending him curious looks as well.

“We've been together for about three years and two months now.” He chuckled as he scratched the back if his neck, cheeks hurting from how wide he was smiling. “And we've been good, really really good. We spent the last two weeks together and it just brought us a lot closer, yeah he had to go to work and everything but he wouldn't take the night shift and he made sure he would be here from breakfast and dinner.” Of course they couldn't help but coo, watching with delight as the young man's cheeks lit up in a soft blush, his features turning just a bit more shy, but Mandy’s brows narrowed after a minute when she thought back on some of Ethan's words.

“I know that spending that much time with someone you love is just amazing, but why did you guys just suddenly decide to do that? Did you get in a fight or something?” It was somewhat relieving that no one had told them about his breakdown, but it also left the job up to Ethan to explain, and while he wasn't going to tell them everything he thought they still deserve an explanation.

“No no nothing like that, I've just been . . “ he thought for a second, trying to find the words and deciding to go with the story he had been telling Tyler, “I've been really stressed and kind of down in the last few months, I . . don't really know why but it's been bothering me and I can tell it's bothering Tyler too, I've been having these really awful dreams and I feel terrible that Tyler has to calm me down and deal with them. I had a really bad one and he just didn't want to leave me alone, he felt like I was distancing myself and he thought that spending more time together, just us and no one else, would really help.” He smiled at the end, because this part was completely true. “And it did, I haven't felt this relaxed and happy in a really long time.”

The lines and creases of concern that had strained the women’s faces slowly faded when they heard the good news that Ethan was happy and relaxed, which was most important.

“Oh, that’s great!” Amy exclaimed, a beautiful grin perfectly complementing her just as beautiful features. Sometimes, Ethan would be around her and wonder how Mark had managed to land a relationship with someone as lovely as her; and then he’d wonder if Mark treated her as bad as he did Ethan, and while he could only hope that the Eurasian at least respected her. However, Amy didn’t seem to be any type of uncomfortable or fearful around Mark, so Ethan came to some conclusion that Mark wasn’t abusive to her - he hoped he wasn’t. The youngest male also couldn’t help the pinch of guilt in his gut he sometimes felt when he was with her because Mark was more or less cheating on her, and he could only hope she’d understand the context if she ever were to find out.

If.

He dreaded the day but at the same time, wanted to be free from his tormentor, but with the desire of just forgetting about that, at least for now, he forced the thoughts away and a smile spread on his face; first forced, then growing more and more genuine as the conversation continued. Not long later, there was a knock on the door, and Ethan’s head was the first to  perk up and look in the direction of the front door, and had it been an faster, perhaps he would've gotten whiplash.